2. Entering Tuesday's game, the Nuggets were 23-4 in 2013 with Chandler.

3. He's tallied his career high (35) twice this season, and on Monday at Chicago, he became the first reserve since 1985-86 to put up at least 35 points, nine rebounds, four assists and shoot 60 percent from the field.

And here are three things I think are cool about Wilson Chandler:

1. He has an N.W.A. tattoo.

2. He appreciates the old-school arcade game NBA Jam.

3. He goes by "Ill Wil," which is funny, because my friends call me "Ill Benjamin."

Anyway you slice it, Chandler has been a heck of a story this season, although he was hurt Tuesday night.

Chandler suffered a left shoulder separation against Oklahoma City and did not return. He is day-to-day.

He was the forgotten guy in the Nuggets-Knicks trade, especially after his injury-plagued 2011 playoffs and his lost season in 2011-12, when he played in China and then hurt his hip. National media members forgot about him when talking about Nuggets' injuries. And even this season, with Chandler returning from hip surgery, it was hard to believe that he would truly be an impact player. Well, he is.

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He plays with brute strength, an old-school game, bulldozing his body wherever he chooses. And his long wingspan is nightmarish for players on the perimeter. Grantland.com writer Brett Koremenos compared Chandler with Miami's Shane Battier, saying that they're the "keys that unlock two of the most versatile rosters in the NBA. ... Chandler's flexibility, meanwhile, allows the Nuggets to field a multitude of lineups that accomplish their sole purpose of playing at a breakneck pace for a full 48 minutes.

"He's a versatile wing player who brings something different to the table than (Andre) Iguodala and (Danilo) Gallinari. He's strong, athletic; he can play inside and outside," said Denver reserve guard Andre Miller. "... He's getting back healthy and he's just playing good basketball."

Indeed, Ill Wil averaged 16.4 points per game the season he was dealt to Denver. Entering Tuesday, he had averaged 15.3 points in the previous 10 games.

"He can have an impact on the game offensively, but I think he's a defensive initiator for us, stabilizes our team," Nuggets coach George Karl said before the 114-104 victory. "I just really enjoy him defensively, and I think the confidence he gives our team makes us a very good defensive team. ... We might not have a big body in the paint, but his pressure and disrupting by being able to be aggressive on the ball — and on pick-and-rolls — lifts our defense about 85 percent of the time. "

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